Vol. 30. No. 2 A Publication of UMA, Inc April - June 2007 Editor: Daniel Gomes, 4394 N. Sweetbriar Ct, Concord, Ca 94521 E-Mail: [email protected] The Encontro Travel Package and Optional Tours are on Pages 30-32 of this Bulletin. Members planning to attend the Encontro should complete the Booking Form and Credit Card Authorization and return these with deposit checks to our Travel Committee at the earliest opportunity. I am pleased to announce that the following Officers will serve for the 2007-2008 term of the Macau Cultural Center (MCC): Alex Xavier, President; Teresa Roliz, Vice President; Maria Roliz, Treasurer; Maria Gomes, Secretary; and Directors: Art Britto, Kirk Harper, Henrique Manhão, Raquel Remedios and Maria Lourdes Xavier. In our continuing efforts to push for unification of the three Macanese clubs in California, I made the following statement to the Board of Directors of the MCC at its meeting held on April 17, 2007: “As President of UMA and a newly-installed Director of the Macau Cultural Center (MCC), I would like to express my view on the organization's membership. I believe that each and every member of the three California clubs, Casa de Macau USA, Lusitano Club of California, and UMA, Inc., should be made a member of the MCC. At UMA's last two Annual General Meetings, the members voted for the unification of the three California clubs into one. When in 1999 the Government of Macau generously donated funds amounting to US$2,000,000, it was in order to acquire a cultural center for the entire Macanese community in California, as represented by the three aforementioned clubs. The purpose was to promote our culture and heritage here in California, where a substantial number of the Macanese have settled. Though these funds were donated to the three California Macanese clubs as equal partners, the money was subsequently transferred to the control of the Macau Cultural Center Association, an organization made up of 9 Directors (3 representatives from each club), and having no members. The MCC used part of these funds to purchase the building at 37695 Niles Boulevard, in Fremont as a cultural center to be used by the three clubs. As matters stand at present, the MCC, comprising 9 Directors, is the legal owner of the building and of the remainder of $1,000,000.00+ in its bank account. The formation of the MCC with its present structure was not voted upon by the general membership of the 3 clubs, as far as I am aware. (I happen to be a member of both UMA, Inc. and Lusitano Club of California, but not of Casa de Macau USA.) As justification for the organizational set-up of the MCC, it was argued that it would be more efficient to find and purchase a building with only 9 Directors to contend with. But now that the building has been purchased and the renovations are underway, it is the right time for the MCC to bring in all the members of the three clubs into its organization. I would like this statement to be made a part of the record to show that I am advocating and in favor of the incorporation into the MCC of the members of Casa de Macau, Lusitano and UMA. I would recommend that a timetable be set with specific dates for this transfer of members to take effect. I would also suggest that achieving this goal be the primary focus of our new President, Alex Xavier, and all the Directors of the MCC. It is regrettable and sad that so many of our senior members have passed away without seeing the Macanese community united – it is time for us to be ONE.” I would encourage all UMA members to write to our Editor to offer their thoughts on this important matter. Raquel Remedios, President UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Summer Issue 2007 Page 1 of 36 DIA DE SAO JOAO By Daniel Gomes The Macanese community in the Bay Area celebrated “Dia de Sao Joao” on Sunday, June 24th, 2007 with an outdoor mass and picnic at Lake Elizabeth in Fremont. The weather was gorgeous and the community of approximately 180 convivial people had a great time. The “Dia de Sao Joao” picnic was a joint effort of the three Casas, under the auspices of the Macau Cultural Center. It is the hope of the directors of the Macau Cultural Center to sponsor this event annually. Judging from the success of this celebration, this should be a very successful annual event. Father Alexander Lewis and Deacon Brian Nunes, both Macanese, came from Southern California to officiate at the outdoor mass by Lake Elizabeth in Fremont. The setting by the lake was serene, and it made me think of Jesus preaching the gospel to his followers on the banks of the river Jordan. Mass by Lake Elizabeth UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Summer Issue 2007 Page 2 of 36 Dia De Sao Joao MCC Directors with Fr, Lewis and Deacon Nunes Expert Chefs from the three Casas. After mass our expert chefs served a sumptuous meal to the delight of the community. The chefs were: from UMA, Inc. – Orlanda da Costa who made Breaded Pork Chops, Flavia Gruebel/Mickey Remedios who made Batatada, Ed de Assis who cooked Balichao Tamarinho, Terri da Silva who made Bebinca, and Rita Ribeiro/Maureen Xavier who prepared Fresh Fruits; from Lusitano – Doreen McKissack who made Chau Mai Fun, Dorothy Oliveira who made Larn Mien, Almond Jello and vegetable salad; and from Casa de Macau.- Irene Manhao who cooked Feijoida, Albertino da Roza who cooked Lo Pak Kou, and Maria Lourdes Xavier who cooked Vaca Estufada. Maria Roliz did an excellent job of coordinating the event, providing all the drinks and supplies for the picnic, and helped Dorothy with the Almond Jello. We must not forget Maria Gutteres who was the treasurer for this event – it was no small task to handle the reservations and collect all the money from the community. And finally, thanks to Maria Roliz, Ozzie Ozorio and Art de Britto for setting up the chairs for the Mass – this made the mass so much more comfortable and respectful. This was an outstanding team and kudos to all our chefs and helpers. After the sumptuous lunch Armando “Pinky” da Silva gave a short entertaining presentation on the background of the “Dia de Sao Joao” in Macau. The absence of a microphone prevented him from giving the “full story” so here is his historical account in the following pages . UMA NEWS BULLETIN – Summer Issue 2007 Page 3 of 36 O DIA DE SAO JOAO BAPTISTA There is a line in the national anthem of Portugal which reads “entre brumas da historia”. For the Macanese people and the City of Macau there are arresting anecdotes from their own mists of history that continue to intrigue people. Recurring questions persist as “Why is O Dia de Sao Joao Baptista also known as “O Dia da Cidade”? Up to about the mid-1950’s the Roman Catholic Cathedral at the “bairro” of Mato-de-Mouro “ at mid-level Hong Kong observed O Dia de Sao Joao Baptista with a “Missa Sagrada de Te Deum” (Holy Mass of Thanksgiving). Thanksgiving for what? And, why is this particular date associated with the festive eating of tropical fruits? In the Macanese vernacular, “O Dia de Sao Joao sung o dia qui nos Macaistas vai igreja pa reza e apois come tanto-tanto frutas especialimente laichee” (The Day of St. John is the day when we Macanese go to church to pray and later to eat many fruits especially lychee). From our own mists of history come the recounting of the “lendas (legends) of O Dia de Sao Joao. Picture Macau as it was on 24 June 1622. A Cidade do Sagrado Nome de Deus na China (The City of the Holy Name of God in China) was one of the wealthiest seaport of its time keeping up with Genoa, Venice, Lisbon, Cadiz. The riches accrued from the 60-plus years of the Japan Trade between the Catholic city-state in China and Kagoshima, Japan induced a sui generi s pride in the city’s achievements among its residents. They were ethnically mixed “Lusodescedentes” of Portuguese, Japanese, Indian, Malaccan, Ceylonese, Burmese, Siamese, Vietnamese, Chinese Tanka and Hoklo extraction. A common denominator bonded them. They understood the proto-archaic form of “Papia Cristang” then the spoken language of trade “A India ate Japao” (from India to Japan). ( A special insert. The late great Dr.Luis “Lulu” Baptista could read and translate with ease most of these “Papia Cristang patua” into oral Macanese and then into English. His untimely death in 2000 age 59 is a terrible loss to our understanding of archaic Macanese. This article is dedicated to him with reverence and respect). The City Proper is defined by an adobe (“chunam”) northern wall extending from Monte hill to Ponta Sao Francisco, and, to the south two other walls extended from Penha hill to Ponta Bom Parto and to Ponta Barra. Within the ambits of these city walls reside the Catholic City. Praia de Cacilhas (site of today’s municipal reservoir) and Guia hill as well as open land described in old maps as “vazeas de aldeias chinezes’ (cultivable land with Chinese hamlets) were outside the walled city. The city itself was laid out in the manner of small walled cities of southern Portugal following upon Moorish architectural principles—house with a walled compound, “quintal” with a well (“poco” or “pozo”) at the center. The population was roughly estimated to be anywhere between 8000 to about 15000 persons.